When
most people think about green cars, they usually think of hybrids and
EVs that are currently making headlines. The fact of the matter is
that while most hybrid cars certainly get good fuel economy there are
several subcompacts and compacts on the market that offer great fuel
economy with standard powertrains.

Chevrolet earlier this year
announced a new variant of its new compact car called the Cruze
Eco. The Cruze Eco has been rated for 42mpg on the highway and
offers 28mpg fuel economy in the city for 6-speed manual versions. An
automatic transmission is also offered on the vehicle and it is rated
for 26mpg in the city and 37mpg on the highway.

The Cruze Eco
uses an Ecotec 1.4L turbocharged engine that produces 138hp and 148
lb-ft of torque between 1,850 rpm and 4,900 rpm. Chevy claim that
that the motor was also designed with an eye towards being smooth and
quiet.

Several features contribute to the fuel economy of the
Cruze Eco including special low rolling resistance tires. The
lightweight 17-inch alloy wheels and special tires helped shave 21.2
pounds total from the Cruze Eco compared to standard models with
16-inch wheels.

Chevy also spent lots of time in the wind
tunnel to increase the aerodynamics of the Cruze Eco. Chevy says that
over 500 hours of testing in the wind tunnel lead to a reduction in
aerodynamic drag of 10% compared to non-Eco models. The Eco version
has an underbody tray that guides air under the car and has a special
grill with more closeouts to improve aerodynamics. The front air dam
of the vehicle is lower and it has a special rear spoiler as
well.

The Cruze Eco is the most fuel-efficient small cars
around, beating out the fuel-sipping sub-compact Ford
Fiesta rated for 40mpg, the Ford Focus rated for 35mpg
(although the 2012 Focus is supposed
to approach 40mpg), and most of the hybrids on the road including
the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid, and the Toyota Camry
Hybrid.

The
Cruze Eco will hit dealers in January at $18,895.

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quote: Exactly. They're talking about having 40+ mpg FLEETWIDE averages. Not just highway mileage targets for small cars.

I used to have a copy of the new CAFE standards but lost it. It's not a straight average but some formula used to figure out mpg. The car companies can meet the short term targets because that's already been in development. It's the long term one's that are tricky. There's still some negotiating to do so expect some changes.